TOP STORY: Stones tops Arteta’s Arsenal wish list

John Stones could be in line for a stunning Premier League switch, with new Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta keen on signing the England international, The Sun reports. The City defender is represented by the same agency as Arteta and would be keen to discuss a move, even if it’s only on loan.

Stones’ season has been plagued by injury and loss of form, with no sign of a new contract offer from City and just two years left to run on his deal at the Etihad.

The Sun claims that there is also an understanding that City boss Pep Guardiola has lost faith in Stones, a potential problem ahead of this summer’s Euros, with England manager Gareth Southgate keen to see the 25-year-old featuring regularly for his club side.

Arsenal’s defensive struggles have cost them this season. No team in the top 10 of the Premier League has conceded more than the 31 goals the Gunners have shipped this term.

LIVE BLOG

22.52 GMT: Representatives from AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven have met with the agent of Ricardo Rodriguez to discuss a deal that would bring the 27-year-old Swiss left-back to the Netherlands, according to Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio, after his place in the Rossoneri starting XI was taken by Theo Hernandez.

22.29 GMT: Real Betis have announced that they’ve signed 25-year-old midfielder Guido Rodriguez to a four-and-a-half-year contract after agreeing a fee with Mexico giants Club America.

22.06 GMT: Frustrated in their pursuit of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph, West Ham could turn to Fulham’s 27-year-old shot stopper Marcus Bettinelli, according to the Telegraph.

21.43 GMT: The Colorado Rapids have confirmed the signing of 27-year-old attacker Nicolas Benezet after sending $50,000 in General Allocation Money (and another $50,000 if his starts 75% of the Rapids’ matches in 2020) for the right to negotiate with the former Reds wide man.

21.20 GMT: Earlier in the day we brought you news of Chelsea recalling Conor Gallagher from his loan at relegation-threatened Charlton Athletic in order to place him at a more competitive club, and now the Mail writes that the 19-year-old midfielder is closing in on a loan switch to Swansea.

20.57 GMT: Manchester United starlet Tahith Chong is out of contract this summer and has been linked with a free transfer to Juventus, but now Sky Sport Italia’s Fabrizio Romano reports that the 20-year-old’s agent is in Milan offering his client to Inter.

20.34 GMT: While Atletico Madrid outcast Thomas Lemar has been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham in recent weeks, Mundo Deportivo reports that it’s Wolves who could actually land the 24-year-old France international on loan for the remainder of the season with an option to buy.

19.44 GMT: D.C. United continued its roster reshuffle on Tuesday, acquiring midfielder Edison Flores from Mexico’s Morelia. The MLS club will pay a $5 million transfer fee, according to multiple reports.

The 25-year old from Peru had 12 goals and six assists for Morelia across all competitions over the past two seasons and will occupy a Designated Player spot for D.C. United. He reportedly agreed on a five-year, $10 million deal that will include incentives.

19.22 GMT: Celtic have announced the signing of 21-year-old Poland U21 striker Patryk Klimala from Polish top-flight side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

19.07 GMT: Chelsea have recalled Conor Gallagher from his season-long loan at relegation-threatened Championship side Charlton Athletic, according to the Evening Standard, with the Blues seeking to test the promising 19-year-old midfielder at a promotion-chasing squad or a lower-level Premier League team following an excellent first half of his campaign.

18.39 GMT: Watford have confirmed the signing of 24-year-old attacker Ignacio Pussetto from Udinese on a contract that runs through 2024.

18.16 GMT:LAFC star forward Carlos Vela would welcome Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to Los Angeles with open arms, even if the 31-year-old would be playing for archival LA Galaxy. Read the full story.

17.53 GMT: Midtable Serie A side Hellas Verona has confirmed the permanent signing of forward Fabio Borini, having signed the 28-year-old from AC Milan on a contract through the remainder of the season.

17.30 GMT: Just six months after joining Napoli, Fernando Llorente is set to leave the Naples club, Calciomercato writes, with Tottenham said to be interested in re-signing the 24-year-old striker who served as Harry Kane’s backup last season now that the Spurs talisman could miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.

17.07 GMT: Thirty-four-year-old Dutch goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer has left Eredivisie giants Feyenoord to embark on a journey with 2019 Major League Soccer Supporters’ Shield winners LAFC, according to Voetbal International.

16.44 GMT: Manchester United have whittled down a lengthy list of playmakers to a more manageable trio of targets, the Manchester Evening News reports. Leicester City No. 10 James Maddison, Ajax creator-in-chief Donny van de Beek and Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish comprise the shortlist, with the Dutchman reportedly the most remote of options.

16.21 GMT: Super-agent Jorge Mendes is in London to finalise the deal that’s set to see 21-year-old Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes join Tottenham on an 18-month loan with an option to buy, with his client undergoing his medical on Tuesday, according to the Telegraph.

15.58 GMT: Quite why they need another creative midfielder is beyond us, but Chelsea are ready to bid €55m for Isco, according to El Desmarque Madrid.

Isco has found himself some playing time in recent weeks, which has attracted the interest of the Blues. But Real Madrid are likely to want a lot more money for the Spain international.

15.31 GMT: Stoke City forward Tyrese Campbell is highly rated by Wolves, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, who are all reportedly interested in signing him. But they have been joined by Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, according to talkSPORT.

15.08 GMT: There was talk in the summer of Thomas Muller leaving Bayern Munich and, though he stayed, the 30-year-old will be considering his future in the summer. Manchester United are keen, but then a lot of clubs will be if the forward becomes available.

“My focus is exclusively on being successful this season,” Muller told Sport1. “What will happen in the summer, I will talk to the club and consider my options. Then let’s see in which direction things will go.”

14.53 GMT: Aston Villa are keen to bring Stephen Nzonzi back to the Premier League after he was suspended by Galatasaray following a bust-up at their training ground.

Nzonzi is on loan at the Turkish side from AS Roma, but the 14-cap France international is open to ending that spell early and moving back to England, according to the Mirror.

With John McGinn ruled out for several months with a fractured ankle, Villa are keen to bolster their midfield options ahead of a relegation scrap. They have already signed Danny Drinkwater on loan from Chelsea, but they could be tempted to dip into the market again following his nightmare debut against Manchester City at the weekend.

14.12 GMT: It’s fair to say Olivier Giroud hasn’t had the best of times under Frank Lampard at Chelsea, and now he is ready to head to Inter Milan this month in order to find more first team football.

The French World Cup winner has agreed personal terms with the Serie A side and is now waiting for the two clubs to agree a fee, the Daily Mail reports.

The fee is becoming a bit of a sticking point, though. Inter have offered £4.5m for the wantaway striker, but the Blues want at least £6.5m in order to allow him to move this month.

Giroud’s contract with Chelsea runs out in the summer, but the former Arsenal man is keen to leave the club this month.

13.37 GMT: Nigel Pearson has revitalised Watford since taking the reigns, and now he is lining up his first signing as Hornets boss with Udinese winger Ignacio Pussetto set to join the club.

Udinese, who are owned by the same family who own Watford, are set to let the Argentine move to Vicarage Road for £7m, the same fee the Serie A outfit paid for him back in 2018.

He is set to join the club on a four-and-a-half year deal, according to Sky Sports.

13.05 GMT: Manchester City are set to allow striker Sergio Aguero leave the club whenever he chooses after carving out a legendary legacy at the club, according to the Daily Mail.

The Argentine became the highest scoring overseas player in the Premier League’s history when he claimed his hat-trick against Aston Villa last weekend — his 177th goal in the competition.

Aguero, who has 18-months left on his deal at the Etihad, surpassed Thierry Henry’s tally with his three goals against Villa.

12.24 GMT: Ashley Young‘s proposed move to Inter Milan is in doubt with Antonio Conte’s side negotiating a deal that could see Italy fullback Leonardo Spinazzola move to the San Siro instead.

According to Sky Sports, Inter are close to agreeing a swap deal with AS Roma, with Matteo Politano heading to the capital and Spinazzola moving the other way.

Inter are desperate to add a left-back to their squad with Young, whose Manchester United contract expires this summer, entering talks with the club over a transfer.

But Inter’s pursuit of Spinazzola could jeopardise Young’s chances of linking up with former teammates Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in northern Italy with the club unlikely to need both players.

11.52 GMT:Takumi Minamino has already arrived at Anfield this month, but could the Reds be about to sign a new goalkeeper to challenge AlissonandAdrian?

Liverpool have made a €15m to Trabzonspor highly-rated stopper Ugurcan Cakir, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah.

The 23-year-old has one cap for Turkey to his name, making his debut for the national side in a friendly against Greece last year.

11.23 GMT: A bighappy birthday goes out to West Ham’s Declan Rice, who turns 21 today, but could he be moving to Manchester United in the near future?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent his personal scout to watch Rice in action during West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Friday ahead of a potential summer pursuit, according to reports in the Daily Mail.

Closer to home for Rice, teammate Jack Wilshere played a rather nasty (and hilarious) prank on the England international to celebrate his birthday. Wilshere wished Rice a happy birthday by climbing into a washing machine at West Ham’s training ground, jumping out as Rice walked past, before sharing the footage on Instagram.

10.41 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is remaining coy on Manchester United’s pursuit of Bruno Fernandes, amid reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola that Andreas Pereira could be offered to Sporting Lisbon on loan in order to complete a deal for Fernandes.

“I’ve got no transfer updates,” Solskjaer told a news conference on Tuesday. “If we get something that we can tell you about we will but I’ve got no news now.”

Sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson last week Sporting Lisbon are keen to cash in on Fernandes in order to ease their financial difficulties, with Solskjaer interested in pursuing the Portuguese international in order to reinforce their midfield option.

Shaqiri has only made 10 appearances for the Reds in all competitions this season with Takumi Minamino’s arrival set to make game time even harder to come by for the Swiss international, but Jurgen Klopp is keen to ensure none of his senior attacking options leave this month as the club close in on their maiden Premier League title.

09.33 GMT: With Pepe Reina joining Aston Villa, AC Milan needed a new backup goalkeeper, and they’ve acted quickly to snap up Bournemouth stopper Asmir Begovic on loan until the end of the season.

Begovic, who has made 62 appearances for the Cherries since arriving from Chelsea in 2017, slipped to being Bournemouth’s fourth choice goalkeeper towards the back end last season. He spent the first half of the season on loan at Qarabag in Azerbaijan, but he will now spend the remainder of the campaign providing cover for Gianluigi Donnarumma at the San Siro.

09.13 GMT: Sporting Lisbon will only make a €7m move to acquire Slovan Bratislava striker Andraz Sporaronce they sell captain Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, according to Record.

Reports that Fernandes will join Manchester United for €65m this month have intensified in recent days. The Portugal international is the highest paid player at Benfica, earning €4m per season, and was a target of Tottenham and Real Madrid in the summer after scoring 31 goals in 50 appearances for Sporting in all competitions last season.

According to Record, Sporting have chosen Sporar as the ideal candidate to replace Fernandes should the latter leave for United. The Slovenian is the leading scorer in the Fortuna League with 12 goals.

The 37-year-old, who has also played for Barcelona, Villarreal, Bayern Munich and Napoli and was part of the Spain squad that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, was mainly a back-up to Milan No. 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma during his time at the San Siro.

Villa were keen to sign a goalkeeper after their first-choice Tom Heaton sustained a season-ending injury.

Reina spent eight years at Liverpool between 2005 and 2013, winning an FA Cup, a Football League Cup, a FA Community Shield and a UEFA Super Cup.

“A player in this situation, even if he wants — and I am not criticising him… It’s normal a player in this situation doesn’t perform in the highest level. But he is helping us in matches he has played for us. He’s had positive performances and contributions like against Olympiakos and Norwich.”

Spurs take on Middlesbrough at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday and will potentially then have a fourth-round tie as well as Premier League fixtures against Watford and Norwich before the January transfer window closes.

“He plays tomorrow,” Mourinho said of Eriksen. “After that I have a match on Saturday and he maybe plays on Saturday again. I cannot tell you much more than that.”

PAPER TALK (by Tom Fenton)

Atletico ready Lacazette as Cavani backup

Atletico Madrid are set to splash out for a new striker in the coming weeks. PSG forward Edinson Cavani is thought to be the Spanish giants’ first choice but, according to Marca, Diego Simeone’s second option might well be Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette.

Simeone is reportedly desperate to land a forward, but with PSG potentially keen to hold on to Cavani, other options such as Lacazette could now be assessed. The Spanish publication reports that the France international has hinted at his desire to move to the Wanda Metropolitano but has thus far failed to see a move materialise.

Should Atletico bid for the 28-year-old, it is likely that fellow Frenchman Thomas Lemar could be sent in the opposite direction, after enduring a torrid time in La Liga since arriving in 2018.

Van de Beek set for blockbuster summer move

Ajax fans might be forgiven for thinking that the pillaging of their major assets is finally over for the time being, but if Sky Sports News is to be believed, they might be about to lose yet another star man next summer.

Sky claims that Donny van de Beek is likely to leave Amsterdam, with the Premier League a possible destination. The Dutch playmaker has most recently been linked with the likes of Manchester United (via ESPN sources) and Real Madrid, following last season’s heroics in the Champions League.

The 22-year-old is expected to remain at Ajax in the short term, despite claims that he could depart this month. However, it’s certain that if the four-time European champions do eventually decide to sell, they will have an array of suitors waiting to snap him up.

Tap-ins

– After a disappointing spell at Leeds, youngster Jack Clarke is set to go out on loan once again — this time at fellow Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers, reports Sky Sports News The outlet reports that a deal is imminent between the midfielder’s parent club, Tottenham, and QPR, now managed by Mark Warburton.

– Southampton bosses are set to meet for a “transfer summit,” with the future of Che Adams expected to be at the top of the agenda. Leeds Live claims that Ralph Hasenhuttl is meeting club chiefs in an attempt to map the future direction of the club, with a decision yet to be made regarding the immediate future of the in-demand Adams.

– Arsenal are one of several clubs monitoring teenage sensation Isaac Lihadji, La Provence reports. The 17-year-old winger plays for Marseille, but after he recently failed to agree a new deal with his employers, some of Europe’s biggest clubs are now set to tussle for his signature.